Oliver (knee) recorded three total tackles, including 0.5 sacks, during Saturday's 9-3 preseason win over the Steelers. Oliver was dealing with a knee injury towards the beginning of August, but it now appears that he's moved past the issue. The 2019 first-round pick out of Houston has been such an integral part of the Bills' defensive line over the last couple seasons, recording 85 total tackles, including 12.0 sacks, while also defending six passes across 29 regular-season contests. Expect Oliver to continue wreaking havoc on opposing offenses now that he's returned to full health.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Ed Oliver news
Team
Buffalo Bills
Birthdate
12/12/1997 (26)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'1", 287 lbs
Draft Info
2019: Rd 1; Pk (BUF)
Birthplace
Houston, TX, USA
Position
DT
College
Houston
Experience
6 seasons
Career History
Buffalo Bills
2019-Present
(6 seasons)
-
Bills2-0
vs.
Jaguars0-2
TOT 1.5SACK 0.4SOLO 1.2AST 0.3INT 0.0TFL 0.6 -
Full season projectionsTOT 34.0SACK 9.6SOLO 23.2AST 10.8
Oliver (knee) recorded three total tackles, including 0.5 sacks, during Saturday's 9-3 preseason win over the Steelers. Oliver was dealing with a knee injury towards the beginning of August, but it now appears that he's moved past the issue. The 2019 first-round pick out of Houston has been such an integral part of the Bills' defensive line over the last couple seasons, recording 85 total tackles, including 12.0 sacks, while also defending six passes across 29 regular-season contests. Expect Oliver to continue wreaking havoc on opposing offenses now that he's returned to full health.
Oliver suffered a knee injury during Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears. Even though he's been cleared to play, he will not return to the game, according to the NFL Network broadcast. We'll see if the early week practice reports reveal anything more, but it looks like the Bills may have dodged a bullet after Oliver was injured in the first quarter. The defensive tackle is arguably the team's most important player on that side of the ball, so perhaps the Bills are just playing it safe with a player who will not require much work ahead of Week 1.
Oliver finished the 2023 regular season with 51 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one interception. All of those figures were a career high or tied for a career high for the 2019 first-rounder, while the 9.5 sacks were particularly noteworthy considering he is an interior lineman. Oliver and DaQuan Jones will continue to lead one of the stronger units on the team. The Bills did lose quite a bit of depth in the offseason and will probably draft a defensive lineman this weekend, but no one will enter the fray to meddle with Oliver's projected playing time, plus the Bills need a wide receiver (or two) more than any other position. If your league forces you to have a spot for both defensive ends and tackles, Oliver is one of the league's better IDP choices for the latter slot.
Oliver was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, and it seems his status could be up in the air until Buffalo's inactive list is announced 90 minutes before kickoff. If he can't play in Week 8, Tim Settle would likely be in line for an increased workload again.